THE FIRST ACCURATE PARALLAX DISTANCE TO A BLACK HOLE
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Miller-Jones-2009-THE FIRST ACCURATE P.pdf
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Author(s)
Miller-Jones, J. C. A.
Jonker, P. G.
Dhawan, V.
Brisken, W.
Rupen, M. P.
Nelemans, G.
Gallo, Elena
Date Issued
December 2009
Journal
Astrophysical Journal
Publisher
Institute of Physics/American Astronomical Society
Citation
Miller-Jones, J. C. A., P. G. Jonker, V. Dhawan, W. Brisken, M. P. Rupen, G. Nelemans, and E. Gallo. “THE FIRST ACCURATE PARALLAX DISTANCE TO A BLACK HOLE.” The Astrophysical Journal 706, no. 2 (November 12, 2009): L230–L234. © 2009 American Astronomical Society.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Using astrometric VLBI observations, we have determined the parallax of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg to be 0.418 [plus or minus sign] 0.024 mas, corresponding to a distance of 2.39 [plus or minus sign] 0.14 kpc, significantly lower than the previously accepted value. This model-independent estimate is the most accurate distance to a Galactic stellar-mass black hole measured to date. With this new distance, we confirm that the source was not super-Eddington during its 1989 outburst. The fitted distance and proper motion imply that the black hole in this system likely formed in a supernova, with the peculiar velocity being consistent with a recoil (Blaauw) kick. The size of the quiescent jets inferred to exist in this system is <1.4 AU at 22 GHz. Astrometric observations of a larger sample of such systems would provide useful insights into the formation and properties of accreting stellar-mass black holes.
MIT Department
MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/706/2/l230
